Job Description

HEIFER INTERNATIONAL KENYA

TERMS OF REFERENCE

DIGITIZATION HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN CONSULTANT

Heifer International Kenya has been operating in Kenya since 1981 with a Mission to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth and its Vision is “a world of communities living together in peace and equitably sharing the resources of a healthy planet”.

Using a values-based community development approach, Heifer works with communities to strengthen the local economy, diversify diets with better nutrition, and properly manage water and soil systems for future generations.

Heifer implements its projects through

1) Community development and

2) enterprise development approaches.

Each of the projects focuses on three priority directions, namely, strengthening and diversifying resource base, strengthening country program efficiency and increasing outreach and impacts through the utilization of innovative value chain systems.

Currently among Heifer’s portfolio is the Kenya Market-Led Dairy Supply Chain Project (KEMDAP), TRANSFORM, Accelerated Value Chain Development (AVCD) project, and the Hatching Hope Kenya Project.

ABOUT HEIFER KENYA PROJECTS

KEMDAP

KEMDAP is a 4-year project funded by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) that was jointly designed by Heifer International, New KCC, Tetra Laval, Food for Development Office (FfDO) and Tetra Pak Kenya (Tetra Pak) and targeted 20,000 in the North Rift (Nandi, Trans-Nzoia, Uasin Gishu and Elgeyo Marakwet counties) and 10,000 in Upper Eastern Embu, Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties. The project seeks to tap into the potential of small-scale dairy farmers in Kenya by building stronger and sustainable dairy cooperative societies.

To achieve this, KEMDAP focuses on addressing the underlying challenges that hinder small-scale farmers from increasing their dairy production, improving livelihoods and moving beyond subsistence dairy farming.

Various interventions are being undertaken, these include training of cooperatives, the board of directors on leadership, governance and business development; training of farmers on social capital, village-level group savings, gender equality among other relevant skills.

This approach is meant to nurture resilience and sustainability beyond the project life.

To build sustainable farmer-owned agribusinesses, the project seeks to support the establishment of functional extension structures.

This entails supporting the 24 dairy cooperatives to recruit Community Facilitators (CFs), Dairy Farm Assistants (DFAs) and Extension Officers(EOs).

HATCHING HOPE KENYA

Hatching Hope Kenya is a partnership Project between Cargill and Heifer International, with the potential to reach 21 million people in 12-year as a contribution to 100 million people targeted globally during the same period. In the initial three years, HHK will improve the livelihoods of 180,000 individuals (40,000 Households) through enhanced poultry production and create demand by increasing awareness and education of nearly 10 million people about the benefits of poultry production and consumption.

The HHK interventions are aimed at creating functional and profitable poultry businesses, closing the living income gap by 53 per cent per family in the Western region (Kisumu, Siaya, Homabay & Migori Counties) Central and Northern Rift regions of Kenya through improved access to financial services, production skills, business knowledge, strengthening market systems, group cohesion and functionality through the Value-Based Holistic Community Development (VBHCD) approach.

TRANSFORMATIONAL STRATEGIES FOR FARM OUTPUT RISK MITIGATION (TRANSFORM)

The goal of TRANSFORM is to sustainably strengthen Animal-Sourced Food (ASF) systems to prevent zoonoses, transboundary animal diseases, and antimicrobial resistance.

In alignment with the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), Cargill in partnership with Ausvet, Heifer Project International, and the International Poultry Council (IPC) with the funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), seeks to engage global market actors, from the backyard and industrial farmers to their respective governments, in sustainably strengthening the animal-sourced-food system and enhancing global health security by preventing emerging zoonoses, transboundary animal diseases (TADs), and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in major animal agriculture value chains in India, Indonesia, Kenya, and Vietnam via its Transformational Strategies for Farm Output Risk Mitigation (TRANSFORM) program.

The proposed strategy takes a systems approach including policy, practices, and data utilization.

The approach seeks to prevent threats by eliminating the environmental factors that enable them through economically advantageous biosecurity measures, nutrition, and health management.

It will provide farmers and governments data to build, monitor, and maintain low-risk environments and to mitigate threats that breach safeguards. Further, it seeks to establish policies that ensure appropriate antimicrobial use and best practices.

ACCELERATED VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT (AVCD) PROGRAM

AVCD is a USAID-funded program under Feed the Future Initiative implemented in five counties of Kisumu, Homabay, Migori, Busia and Siaya. The project targets 17,000 smallholder households, to link them to the dairy hubs to access markets.

The project goal is to sustainably reduce poverty and hunger in Kenya with the immediate result of an improved agricultural enabling environment, expanded markets & trade, increased productivity of selected value chains and enhanced nutrition related behaviours.

Heifer Kenya is building the capacity of producers and supporting them in the development and operationalization of Dairy Business Hubs (DBHs) to bulk, process and market milk and its products hence providing direct markets to the farmers.

Background of extension digitalization

HPI has been seeking to collaborate with innovation firms to digitize and improve access and delivery of its extension services. This strategy aligns with the Kenya’s extension policy (NASEP 2008) that promised innovative approaches, including a pluralistic approach in extension service provision involving various actors from the government as well as the private sector, use of information and communication technology (“ICT”) services and provision of a favourable environment to facilitate the use of the ICT services.

Problem statement and proposed solution

In the past, Heifer has conducted traditional face-to-face farmer training in groups through the Trainer of Trainers model, which has relied on peer farmer trainiers (PFT), Community facilitatirs (CF), CAVES and Dairy farm assistants (DFA) to deliver training content to its beneficiaries.

From most program evaluations, this model has been effective but rather costly and not sustainable in the long run. After direct project support, most of the trainers are no longer active since farmers only pay for tangible services like animal health but not training or advice.

Farmers have also been busy with other income-generating activities and therefore not always available for regular training that is organized during the day (when they are chasing competing interests). This inconsistent or irregular attendance at training sessions contributes to slow uptake of training innovations. Also, the impact of COVID-19 has affected face-to-face extension
service provision, hence the need for an alternative means.

An assessment by Heifer in September 2019 on farmers access to mobile innovation indicated that 91% of farmers have access to mobile phones and most of them find time in the evening and
during their rest times to catch up with information updates and research. Therefore, HPI considers investment in digital extension systems, linked to mobile phone as a key complementing option to deliver training modules and packages cost-effectively and sustainably.

In our program designs, we are incorporating digital extension as a complement to face-to-face training.

The Rationale

The impact of COVID-19 on different agriculture value chains has demonstrated that digital solutions are a lifeline to create efficient and scalable solutions for farmers and the value chains in which they work. Heifer Kenya recognizes the important role of digital solutions in the future of agriculture and especially extension service and training delivery.

Heifer Kenya digitalization work is guided by a digital strategy, the strategy is tailored around five key pillars, these are;

a) Embracing human-centred solutions approach

b) Digitizing training content and making it accessible to farmers

c) Embracing innovative web and mobile based solutions

d) Building a sustainable digital field force

e) Promoting digital capacity by enhancing digital skills within the organization

To achieve these goals there is a need for Heifer to embrace agile digital programming, technology innovation and partnerships to scale services for farmers.

It is against this backdrop that Heifer is seeking the services of a Human-Centred Consultant.

Purpose of the Consultancy: The Human Centered Design Consultant will undertake extensive research and consultation with target populations in Heifer Kenya Project areas. This consultancy aims to assist Heifer Kenya in evaluating and redesigning its Agriculture Digitization systems and Approach through a Human Centered Design approach, by evaluating project participants (staff, extension team, Producer Organizations, farmers) needs and re-aligning (as necessary) to cater to these needs as best possible.

General Objectives: The general objective of the proposed human centred design consultancy is to evaluate and understand which digital tools will address the needs of different users, stakeholders and Heifer Project Participants in general.

Specific Objectives

Specifically, the integration of ICT in extension and service delivery is meant to;

a) Increase reach and uptake of extension services and inputs

b) Encourage farmer-led learning that augments face to face training making it more interactive and beneficial for farmers

c) Improve monitoring and evaluation of training and services thus informing Heifer’s capacity building programs

d) Promote cost efficiency in program interventions

e) Promote sustainability of extension services

f) Improve access to and linkage to inputs sources and services

g) Improve linkages and transparency along and among the poultry and dairy value chain actors.

h) Develop a business plan and roadmap for the sustainability of Heifer Kenya Digital solutions.

Scope of Work

Informed by the five pillars of Heifer Digital Strategy, the consultancy activities will be required in tailored combinations to meet the needs of Heifer projects through agile series of engagements
designed by the consultant in collaboration with Heifer International.

The consultant shall provide a series of services and deliverables to Heifer on an ongoing basis within the overall scope of work.

These combinations of technical support services will include:

1. Research and develop strategic recommendations on digitization needs, and market ecosystems (at farmer, producer organization levels). This will involve conducting user needs assessment through Key Informants Interviews (KIIs) with project participants and end-users as well as partners and relevant stakeholders to inform the platform design. The consultant will also audit the existing Heifer Kenya digital platforms and recommend how these can be linked to the proposed platform

2. Conduct capacity needs assessment and identify the digitization training needs (for staff and extension teams) and human resource capacity needed to run the platform.

3. Develop the scope of work/terms of reference for the platform development, outlining what can be developed from scratch, and what can be outsourced/rented e.g., Bulk SMS service, and platform as a service.

4. Develop the sustainability road map, business plan and partnership modelling

5. Draft the roll-out action plan for the digitization pilot which should include, timeframe, geographical area of focus, potential partners, their roles and expected outputs.

6. Product ideation, prototyping and development

7. Development of monitoring and evaluation plans for product pilots: Review pilot outcomes and make recommendations for platform improvement solutions thereof. This will include user experience testing and product refinement work

8. Preparation of public learning outputs based on engagement learning, including infographics, case studies.

This project implementation shall be fully consultative with Heifer, and all workshops, research results, and recommended strategies will be developed in conjunction with Heifer programme participants.

Throughout this learning exercise, the consultant will be accompanied by the programme participants and project teams to the field so that they can join brainstorming and synthesis sessions whenever possible.

Methodology

Phase 1: Learning, research, and analysis

• Desktop research


• Key Informants Interviews


• Data analysis


• Developing the HCD research and synthesis report

Phase 2: The building of the prototypes

Prototypes will be designed on paper for the consultant and the project team to lead the target users through the various steps of testing, and get feedback. Solid insights and concepts will be produced to inform the first version of the product (the Minimum Viable Product-MVP).

After developing the MVP, it will need to be taken back to the end-users and tested.

• Low-fidelity prototyping i.e. turning ideas into testable tools that can then be used to collect and analyse feedback in the early stages.


• High-fidelity prototyping


• The testing of learning


• Iteration

Phase 3: Piloting

• Launching a live pilot in the market to access uptake.


• Usability testing

Expected Deliverables

As part of the delivery of the services, the consultant shall deliver the following:

1. Inception report

2. HCD Research and synthesis report

• Capacity needs assessment report


• Farmer ecosystem digitization needs an assessment report


• Terms of reference for the platform development


• Building and testing of prototypes report


• Pilot outcomes report and clear action plan from the pilot outcomes


• Clear guidance tools and resources during the entire process in collaboration with the project team.


• learning outputs, including infographics, case studies.

3. Final report

Supervision and Coordination: Implementation against this scope of work will be under the overall supervision of the Director of Programmes. The consultant, under the duration of the contract, will also work closely with the technical project teams.

Confidentiality: It should be noted that all the information and reports collected in the process of undertaking this exercise shall be the property of Heifer International.

Qualifications and Experience

Qualifications in Human-Centred Design, design thinking, product innovation, applied research methodology or similar.

• Extensive experience in product research and product design, particularly in human-centred design. Specific experience working with INGO in a relevant assignment is a plus.


• Extensive experience using industry best practice customer research, discovery tools and strategies to prepare frameworks.


• Extensive experience in needs-based product design and product innovation, primarily in Agriculture innovation and technology


• Training and coaching experience in product design & innovation.


• Presence in Kenya and a deep understanding of the Kenyan Agricultural development context.


• Experience with Product Innovation, particularly agriculture technology.

The application requirements

Only legally registered entities are eligible to apply and should submit the following:

a) Letter of expression of interest and demonstration of capability.

b) Cover Page (Name of organization/company, contact details – the name of the contact person, physical address, phone number, and email address).

c) A technical proposal detailing your understanding and how you propose to undertake the assignment, and work plan. Include at least three previous clients and their contacts to act as references and CV(s) of the person(s) to be engaged on the assignment.

d) Financial proposal–Applicants should submit a detailed budget in excel format with budget notes that explain the basis of the estimate for each line item (in USD and KSh).

e) The successful consulting firm will be required to produce the following documents before entering into Independent Contractor Agreement (ICA) with Heifer;

• Certificate of Incorporation or Business Registration Certificate.


• A Partnership Deed if you are running a partnership business.


• Audited financial statements for the last three years.


• Valid CR12 Certificate


• KRA online PIN Certificate.


• Tax Compliance Certificate.


• Certificate of Incorporation or Business Registration Certificate.


• Physical location including town, building, room number and postal address.


• Directors’ / Partners’ personal guarantee.


• Trade reference and clientele list including their respective contacts.

How to Apply

All applicants should submit their applications to procurement-ke@heifer.org with the subject line labelled ‘HUMAN CENTRED DESIGN CONSULTANCY.

The closing date for applications is Monday 9th August 2021.

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